People want to see litter cleaned up and the vacant, run-down homes taken down.

Teens want somewhere safe to play basketball and children want lunch buddies.

On a chilly last week, city officials, pastors and local law enforcement officers filtered through Gardner, Calvary, Light Oak and Royster streets.

It is the second time in six months the group has targeted a Shelby "hot spot," chatting with people, handing out letters and finding out what concerns plague the residents in the high-crime area.

A command post was set up in the middle of the neighborhood and people were invited to have lunch and talk with city and county officials.

Women brought their children.

Officers played ball games with the kids.

Following the walk-through, a list was created.

"Everything from crime issues to litter or trash, to people walking late at night," Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford said. "We've seen houses that were boarded up and vacant. We get everything from crime to quality of life down to a school lunch buddy."

'A whole different setting'

Ledford said the west neighborhood was targeted because of high call volume and crime statistics.

He said there are already initiatives in place to improve quality of life in that area.

Project Safe Neighborhood has a strong presence in the area, and there are several ongoing neighborhood restoration and community development projects.

"It was a good fit for us to go in there, meet the good folks and the ones who are possibly causing trouble know the same thing - that we are here and going to take the neighborhood back," Ledford said.

Besides Shelby police officers, District Attorney Rick Shaffer participated, along with city department heads and pastors from area churches.

Partnership for Change, a faith-based group, is working with law enforcement to start changing the city one neighborhood at a time.

"It was a great opportunity for our officers to meet the community in a whole different setting," Ledford said.

'Something we're going to keep doing'

Letters were handed out to residents explaining what the group was doing.

"We had probably 20 to 25 residents come to the command post, meet with officers and talk with them," Ledford said. "We had everything from kids to adults. Once they understood this was for them, it was a whole different ballgame."

He said one little girl approached him with a question.

"S he tugged at my shirt and she said, 'can I ask you something?'" Ledford said. "I said 'sure.'"

Page 2 of 2 - "I'd like to have a lunch buddy," she told him.

"The adults are looking at crime and other quality-of-life issues and this little girl wants a lunch buddy," he said.

Two teens also approached him.

"They were explaining that they needed somewhere to go and play basketball and could gather without somebody getting into trouble," Ledford said. "I thought that was unique, a teenager coming up and giving perspective on what is needed."

So often, he said, teens are told what they need instead of asked.

"If a young person doesn't have somewhere to go, they'll find somewhere to go," he said. "It's better if (we're) pro-active."

Ledford said the department - and other groups - will continue to visit Shelby neighborhoods.

"These have really been useful," he said. "This is something we're going to keep doing."